CLEARWATER, Fla. — While A.J. Burnett officially joined the Phillies’ rotation Sunday, one of the pitchers expected to be in competition for the final opening in it had a setback.

Jonathan Pettibone, who had a strong rookie campaign before an inflamed shoulder forced him to shut down in August, is having more shoulder soreness and didn’t work off the mound Sunday morning as scheduled.

“I think we’re just getting it at an early stage,” said Pettibone, who had an MRI done last fall that showed no structural issues, “so hopefully we can just push going off the mound back a few days and go from there.

“I’m going to get on anti-inflammatories tonight and hopefully that shuts it down.”

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Pettibone, who went 5-4 with a 4.04 ERA in 18 starts with the Phils last season, said it was the same sensation as last year’s, but at a far earlier stage than when he finally went to the trainers then.

With veteran Roberto Hernandez and Cuban mystery man Miguel Gonzalez the other top candidates for the final rotation spot, Pettibone can’t afford to miss too much time. But he can’t afford to be anything less than his best, either.

“I want to be ready more than anything, especially missing the end of last year,” he said. “This wasn’t part of the plan. I was working my tail off this offseason making sure I’d be ready, so it’s unfortunate and upsetting.

“My main goal is that I want to be healthy and I want to be in that competition, so that’s the only thing I’m focused on. I want to be in a position where I give myself a chance to make that fifth spot.”

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The position players continue to trickle into camp ahead of Tuesday’s official reporting date, and the latest to arrive is an old, familiar face.

“I’m happy to be here with the guys,” said Bobby Abreu, who is trying to make the team as an extra outfielder. “I’m happy to be with the team where I really started to be an everyday big-league player. It has been a long time since ’98. To come back right now, I’ve got a lot of memories.”

Abreu is one of the most productive outfielders in Phillies history. Among Phils who played the outfield, he is second in stolen bases, fourth in runs scored, fifth in RBIs, sixth in home runs and second in OPS among those with 1,500 or more plate appearances with the franchise. Yet the Phillies traded him and Cory Lidle to the Yankees in 2006 for four young players who amounted to absolutely nothing.

After a few productive seasons in New York, then Anaheim, Abreu saw his production wane in 2012 with the Angels and Dodgers. He didn’t play baseball in 2013, the pain of which showed in his face as he spoke about it Sunday.

On the flip side, it seemed to make him more determined to prove he still can play a role in baseball. He started preparing for a comeback last June, and in the Venezuela Winter League he was one of the top performers.

“I was there since the first day the season started,” said Abreu, who is a superstar in his home country. “I wanted to be back in the big leagues. It’s a good league (in Venezuela). I was feeling good, and that give me the opportunity to be back over here and have a chance to show i could still play.”

Abreu, who turns 40 next month and is in camp on a minor-league contract, wasn’t exactly a disaster in 2012. He hit .242, but still had a .350 on-base percentage. Here is the number of Phillies last season with more than 14 plate appearances who had an OBP that high: Zero.

Unfortunately for Abreu, the Phillies hoarding of aging players to bigger, long-term contracts unfairly made his signing the butt of jokes.

But for those who are hoping John Mayberry Jr.’s tenure comes to an end, Abreu is the most likely candidate to bump him out of a fifth outfielder’s job.

“It’s how you go to the field and how you respond to the game,” Abreu said. “I understand age is a number that will make people think you can’t perform, but everyone knows over here how to play the game. So you just have to go on the field and show what you can do.

“I want to keep playing the game. I want to be a part of a team. Also, to come off the bench — we’ve talked about that. It’s not a problem for me. I just love to play the game, I know I can still play. To have this opportunity right now, it’s fun.”

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NOTES: Pitching prospect Ken Giles, whose claim to fame is his ability to flip the display on radar guns, had an epic bullpen session Sunday. His ability to hit the mitt and keep the ball down while throwing well into the upper-90 mph range had several front office members and coaches watching. When he left the mound, senior adviser Pat Gillick told the 23-year-old right-hander he wasn’t expecting to see a performance like that ... Jimmy Rollins arrived at camp Sunday ... Phillippe Aumont, who had been expected to be a key in the bullpen last season, only to self-destruct mechanically and mentally, threw like a different man Sunday. Gone was the bizarre, hunched-over delivery from last season, and the results were a guy whose velocity and accuracy were much better.